Fastening mechanism for marble front of burial crypt



Oct. 26, 1965 F. E.

DAVIES FASTENING MECHANISM FOR MARBLE FRONT OF BURIAL CRYPT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 24, 1961 Fzlgi. 3

INVENTOR.

Frederick E. Baa/12s y flzfi wdflazzz7 ATTORNEYS F. E. DAVIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I... llllll INVENTOR. Frederick 5117111 125 6%! all [Aw 2Z ATTORNEYS Oct. 26, 1965 FASTENING MECHANISM FOR MARBLE FRONT OF BURIAL CRYPT Original Filed July 24, 1961 United States Patent 3,213,576 FASTENING MECHANISM FOR MARBLE FRONT 0F BURIAL CRYPT Frederick E. Davies, 8 E. Cresta Way, Chula Vista, Calif. Continuation of application Ser. No. 126,295, July 24, 1961. This application June 29, 1964, Ser. No. 380,981 2 Claims. (Cl. 52-134) This present invention is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 126,295, filed July 24, 1961, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to burial vaults including a plurality of open front crypts arranged in tiers and in side-by-side relationship, and more particularly to such vaults having removals panels, each covering one of said open front crypts individually.

Such vaults are usually formed of concrete, and, in the more ornate type, the outer walls are covered with a material such as marble or material which simulates marble. Such covering, at the front usually include panels of marble or the like for the respective open fronts of the crypt.

In practicing the present invention, an anchor is suitably :buried at the junction of the walls which form the crypts and when concrete is used for the walls, such anchor is buried in the concrete. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the anchor is U-shaped, the ends of legs being threaded for cooperation with plate securing means, such as bolts which are threaded with the legs of the anchor. This plate is disposed forwardly of the walls which form the crypt and is provided preferably with elongated slots for receiving the bolts, the slots being elongated, provide for adjusting the position of the plate with respect to the anchor.

The plate is employed for holding the panels in position, and in the preferred embodiment, it is provided with at least one forwardly extending and horizontally disposed shelf for supporting one end of a panel. The other end of the panel is supported by a like shelf of the next adjacent plate. Preferably each plate is provided with two shelves, one supports one end of one plate and the other supports the confronting end of the next adjacent plate.

Removable means is provided for maintaining the panels in position. For this purpose, the plate is provided with an oblong slot, herein illustrated as having its longer dimension disposed horizontally. The shank of a threaded element extends through this slot and is provided with a head havin a portion in abutting relationship with the rear side of the plate immediately adjacent the slot. The head of this element is narrower in one direction than the narrower width of the slot whereby the head can be inserted through the slot from the front of the plate, and this head is wider in another direction than the narrower width of the slot so that, after the head is inserted and then turned, portions of the front of the head confront the rear of the plate. The shank of the element is threaded for cooperation with another threaded element. This second threaded element is also provided for retaining the panel or panels in position.

In the preferred embodiments a resilient, elastic element, such as a compressible spring, is interposed between the front of the plate and the rear of the panel so as to resiliently hold the panel in position.

The advantages will be apparent from the following descriptions, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the plate, showing also the ends of the means for fastening the same to the anchor, also showing the front of the threaded element which is 3,213,516 Patented Get. 26, 1965 ice utilized for retaining the panels in position, and also showing the springs;

FIG. 2 is a view partly in section, the section being through the plate and along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinally sectional view of the threaded fastening element shown in FIG. 1, but on a larger scale;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the front of a vault, showing in dotted lines the walls which form parts of four crypts and showing the juxtaposed position of four panels which close the fronts of the respective crypts; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of a plate, the anchor and a fragment of one of the front panels of a crypt.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the walls forming the adjoining four adjacent crypts 15 are shown in dotted lines at 18 in FIG. 6. These walls, in a completed vault form tiers of crypts, each tier including a plurality of side-by-side crypts. The open fronts of these crypts are closed by panels 15, usually formed of stone such as marble. Anchors are embedded in the concrete forming the walls. One of these anchors is shown at 14. It is preferably U-shaped, with both forwardly extending legs and the connecting yoke embedded in a wall such as a horizontal wall at the junction of the vertical walls, the two legs lying between the same horizontal planes.

Each of these anchors carries a plate 2 forwardly of the front of the walls of the crypts 15. T he plate 2 is fastened to the ends of the legs of the anchor 14. As herein shown, the ends of the legs are internally thread-ed for receiving the threaded elements, namely the bolts 12. The bolts 12 extend through vertically elongated slots 6 in the plate. These slots are elongated for providing for adjusting the vertical position of the plates. Suitable horizontal lines 5 are provided for indicating the relative position of the plates with respect to the anchors.

The relative position of the plate 2 with respect to the front of walls 16 is determined by the extent to which the bolts 12 are threaded into the ends of the legs of the anchor. After this is determined, the bolts are locked in position by nuts 13. In this manner, all of the plates can be aligned vertically.

Each of the plates 2 is provided with at least one forwardly extending and horizontally disposed shelf 4 for sup orting one end of a panel 15. Each plate is provided, preferably with two such shelves which lie in the same horizontal plane and extend longitudinally of a horizontally extending slot 7 in the plate, each supporting an end of a panel 15. These shelves may be formed in any suitable manner and supported in any suitable manner. They are herein shown as plates of steel which rest in horizontally disposed grooves in the front of the plate 2.

The means for retaining one or a plurality of panels 15 in position on the plate includes two threaded elements for each plate. One of these threaded elements is in the form of a nut or internally threaded bolt 1 and the other is in the form of a nut 11. The bolt 1 includes a shank 19 which is internally threaded, as at 17, and includes a head 21. This head is oblong in shape, namely it is wider in one direction than in another. When the bolt 1 is in operative position the shank extends through the oblong slot 7 in the plate 2 and the front of the head of the bolt is in abutting relationship with the rear of the plate 2 immediately adjacent the slot 7. A cotter key 9, extending through the hole 8 in the shank 19 of the bolt, prevents accidental removal of the bolt from the plate 2. The slots are elongated horizontally whereby the bolts 1 can be fastened in desired horizontal position. After the panel or panels are placed on the shelf or shelves, they are retained in position by a plate and nut 11. The plate 10 is interposed between the front of a panel or the fronts of adjacent panels and the rear of the head of the nut 11. By manipulating the nut 11, the plate 10 will be moved inwardly to retain the panel or panels in position. Open front sockets are disposed above and below the shelves 4 for receiving coil springs 3. The springs 3 will be compressed and yielding, urge the panels toward the plate 10.

It will be observed that the shank 19 of the bolt 1 is offset from the center of the head 21 of the bolt. By so ofisetting the shank, the relative position of the shank with respect to the slot can be changed by rotating the bolt one hundred and eighty degrees. Because of this feature and the slotting of the opening 7, the relative positions of the bolt 1 with respect to the plate 2 can be such so as to accommodate the retaining of a corner of a panel in any of the four outside corners of the vault.

Thus it is apparent from the foregoing that by virtue of the present invention, there has been provided a simple and inexpensive mechanism for attaching panels to cover the open fronts of the crypts of burial vaults. Also, the mechanism is simple to manipulate; the attaching and removing of the panels can be accomplished by inexperienced helpers. Meyers wrench, received by the socket 23, is the only tool necessary for manipulating the bolt 1 after the plate 2 is attached by bolts 12 to the anchor 14.

While the form of embodiment herein shown and described constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms may be adopted falling Within the scope of the claims that follow.

I claim:

1. The improvement in combination with a plurality of horizontal and vertical walls arranged to provide open front crypt tiers in side-by-side relationship, which improvement comprises:

(A) panels for covering the open fronts of the crypts;

(B) and means for securing said panels to said Walls,

comprising:

(1) horizontally extending anchor means embedded in said walls at the junctions of said horizontal and vertical walls;

(2) a vertical extending plate, said plate having a horizontally oblong slot and two forwardly facing grooves extending longitudinally of and on opposite ends of the slot and a plurality of open front sockets above and below the grooves;

(3) means for adjustably securing the plate tothe anchor means;

(4) means for securing the panel to the plate, in-

cluding:

(a) a threaded element having a head, said head having a front section including:

(i) a front portion engageable, When turned, with the confronting elongated walls of the slot for preventing turning of the threaded element when said element is in position in said slot,

(ii) a rear end portion wider in one direction than the narrow dimensions of the slot, and narrower in another. direction than the narrow dimension of said slot, said head being inserted rearwardly through said slot and then turned so that the wider portion spans said slot, said head then drawn forwardly, whereby the front of the wider portion is in abutting relationship with the rear wall of the plate immediately adjacent slot, and the front portion lies in abutable relationship with the confronting elongated Walls of the slot,

(b) removable means for preventing rearward movement of the threaded element,

(c) and a threaded element in threaded relationship with the first-mentioned threaded element for retaining said panel in crypt closing position;

(5) shelves for supporting the ends of adjacent panels, said shelves extending intothe grooves and extending forwardly;

(6) and coil springs disposed in the sockets and compressed against the rear sides of the panels.

2. An improvement as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the anchor means (B1) comprises:

(Bla) two horizontal extending and internally threaded elements, horizontally spaced from one another,

and further characterized in that the plate (B2) is provided with (132a) two vertically extending slots aligned, respectively, with the two horizontally extending internally threaded elements,

and further characterized in that said means (B3) comprises:

(B3a) a plurality of bolts extending through said vertically extending slots and threaded into said internally threaded elements,

and further characterized in that said plate (B2) includes:

(B2b) two forwardly extending shelves, each adapted to support an end of a panel, said shelves being vertically aligned, respectively, with said internally threaded anchor elements.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,645,808 10/27 Gregel 33-188 1,794,158 2/3 1 Dieterich 52-496 2,080,190 5/37 Sinner 52-698 2,163,446 6/39 H-eckman 52-709 2,574,938 11/51 Sinner 52-378 2,618,145 11/52 Sinner 52-509 2,814,942 12/57 Sinner 52-509 FOREIGN PATENTS 657,359 9/51 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. 

1. THE IMPROVEMENT COMBINATION WITH A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL WALLS ARRANGED TO PROVIDE OPEN FRONT CRYPT TIERS IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP, WHICH IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES: (A) PANELS FOR COVERING THE OPEN FRONTS OF THE CRYPTS; (B) AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID PANELS TO SAID WALLS, COMPRISING: (1) HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ANCHOR MEANS EMBEDDED IN SAID WALLS AT THE JUNCTIONS OF SAID HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL WALLS; (2) A VERTICAL EXTENDING PLATE, SAID PLATE HAVING A HORIZONTALLY OBLONG SLOT AND TWO FORWARDLY FACING GROOVES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF AND ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SLOT AND A PLURALITY OF OPEN FRONT SOCKETS ABOVE AND BELOW THE GROOVES; (3) MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY SECURING THE PLATE TO THE ANCHOR MEANS; (4) MEANS FOR SECURING THE PANEL TO THE PLATE, INCLUDING: (A) A THREADED ELEMENT HAVING A HEAD, SAID HEAD HAVING A FRONT SECTION INCLUDING: (I) A FRONT PORTION ENGAGEABLE, WHEN TURNED, WITH THE CONFRONTING ELONGATED WALLS OF THE SLOT FOR PREVENTING TURNING OF THE THREADED ELEMENT WHEN SAID ELEMENT IS IN POSITION IN SAID SLOT, (II) A REAR END PORTION WIDER IN ONE DIRECTION THAN THE NARROW DIMENSIONS OF THE SLOT, THE NARROWER IN ANOTHER DIRECTION THAN THE NARROW DIMENSION OF SAID SLOT, SAID HEAD BEING INSERTED REARWARDLY THROUGH SAID SLOT AND THEN TURNED SO THAT THE WIDER PORTION SPANS SAID SLOT, 